Some 25,000 troops from the United States and 23 other countries will take part in a large-scale military exercise planned in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania next month.

The exercise, called Saber Guardian, has been held annually in the Black Sea region since 2013. However, this year’s exercise is "larger in both scale and scope" than previous exercises, according to the US European Command in Stuttgart, reports Reuters.

The Saber Guardian exercise will include an array of live fire exercises, river crossings and a mass casualty exercise and was aimed at drilling "the ability to mass forces at any given time anywhere in Europe".

The US army said the larger exercise would be preceded by several smaller events - all aimed at shoring up the security and stability of the Black Sea region, where increased Russian submarine activity has sparked concerns.

The Saber Guardian exercise rotates through Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, with a goal to increase the ability of European and US military forces to operate together in the event of an armed conflict.

Large-scale NATO military drill starts in Romania

editor@romania-insider.com